


vanilla pods and cinnamon sticks

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Black Hermione Granger, Dumbledore Lives, F/M, Not Canon Compliant, Severus lives, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2016-11-09
Packaged: 2018-08-30 01:23:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8513380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When the trio returned to Hogwarts for their final year, Hermione take an apprenticeship beneath the formidable potions master.





	

‘I’ve been sitting at the bottom of a swimming pool for a while now,  
Drowning out my thoughts with sounds’  
Halsey - Young God  

In all of his fifteen years of teaching Severus Snape had never felt such trepidation for the beginning of the school year. The first day of term was usually met with the relief of being back in his quarters that was only diluted by the presence of dunderhead students but this year Severus would rather be stewing in the darkness of Spinners end. This was, of course, Albus’ fault. The old fool had volunteered Severus’ lab and his services to one of the aforementioned dunderheads, one that Albus deemed to hold enough skill to apprentice under the potions master. Something, that in Severus’ mind, was highly unlikely, if not impossible. Severus’ trunks had already been sent to his quarters and only his owl, Zagreus, would have to be carried with him. Zagreus had been a birthday gift from Minerva and was the only gift that Severus had truly appreciated in years, despite the taunting comment that his co-worker also gifted him with. Severus cast one last look around the dingy house that he hadn’t called home since he was eleven. The walls were stained with damp and all the surfaces were coated with a thick layer of dust that had accumulated after almost a decade of neglect. The only room that had actually been kept in any form of livable condition was the lab in the basement. His lab was the only place where Severus truly felt at ease in his childhood home, all the other rooms had been tainted by his father's hatred and his mother's blinded love.Severus sometimes wondered if his life would have been any different if his mother had more courage or if his father was more understanding, maybe he wouldn’t have made so many mistakes in life. Zagreus flew around Severus’ head, tilting his body so his wings just lightly brushed against his owner's hair. Severus never put Zagreus in a cage, he had free reign of his house and when at Hogwarts he would stay in the owlery until needed. Severus, with his fingers against his lips, whistled long and low and Zagreus landed on his shoulder, his talons digging into his frock coat. Severus clicked his tongue and the precise piercing pain in his shoulder retracted but not without leaving several loops of wool protruding from the fabric. Severus ran his hand along the length of his trusted companion then steps towards the fireplace, he still had two hours until he was required to be at Hogwarts but would rather arrive early and avoid pointless pleasantries with his co-workers. He bent down, ducking his head below the mantle piece, threw a handful of floo powder and with a muttered ‘Hogwarts’ vanished in a deep emerald flame. Albus Dumbledore sat behind his large regal desk, his cheeks puckered from a lemon sherbet. His office shone a brilliant green as if someone had cast the killing curse and Albus’ wrinkled cheeks spread into a half smile, ‘Severus, how are you’ ‘I am as well as I can be when you are corrupting my laboratory’ Severus slouched into an armchair in front of the headmaster. ‘Don’t be melodramatic’ Albus’ eyes twinkled and Severus straightened at the sight of it, as if it signified an incoming threat, ‘you may even enjoy the year’ ‘I am not being melodramatic!’ Zagreus started at the rise of Severus’ voice and perched himself next to Fawkes. ‘You have offered up my laboratory to some idle student, and you refuse to let me know who is going to be interfering in my stores’ ‘You will find out in the morn, my friend’ Severus clicked his tongue and ,with Zagreus trailing behind him, exited the office with a flourish, his frock coat swinging behind him. He now had two hours to prepare himself for the welcoming feast, something he dreaded completely. Once he reached the great hall, Zagreus flew in the opposite direction , to the owlery, while Severus continued down the steps to the dungeons. His footsteps clicked on the floor, echoing on warm stone walls, magnifying the emptiness of the castle. Severus relished the quiet, it gave him time to appreciate his surroundings. Since the first time he stepped foot in the hallways, a mind whirling twenty-three years ago, Severus had been in awe of the sure solidness of the building, the magic that was infused in the very brickwork and the overwhelming sense of unity that flowed through each student, well, each house. Severus reached his classroom, the pungent stench of rotting eel eyes stung his own and attacked his nasal ways, promising to sit there for days to come, with a flourish of his hand the unusable ingredients vanished from the shelves but their aroma lingered in the air. Severus stalked to the rear of the classroom, into his office. His office was a wide, narrow room with shelves reaching the ceiling on each wall, brimming with both books and large jars stuffed with the rarest of Severus’ ingredients, the ones which he would never trust the students with, such as phoenix ash, that is extremely combustive when exposed to open flames, and with that terror, Longbottom,his classroom would be destroyed every lesson. A well-placed tap on the wall with the end of his wand reveals another door, leading to his private quarters. His quarters were made up of three rooms, a sitting room, a bedroom and a bathroom. All of these rooms were decorated with the stereotypical silver and emerald of a Slytherin house head. His sitting room was, once again, packed with bookshelves, there was also a large fireplace and two armchairs facing each other, his trunk leant against one. In one corner was a small table where several bottles of various liquors sat, at least half of which were fire whiskey, the rest an assortment of goblin wine and muggle spirits. From his sitting room, a high archway led to the bedroom. As if made of glass, the back wall revealed the depths of the lake, illuminating the whole room a deep algae green. A large four post bed sits against the glass wall, the cold stone floor was covered in thick grey rugs, one ran from the bed to the sitting room and another to the bathroom. A long dresser stood opposite the bed and two tall wardrobes surrounded it. There was a loveseat at the foot of the bed but apart from that, there were no other embellishments, no sign of anybody living here. Severus flicked his wand and his trunk flew from the sitting room onto his bed, another flick and all his clothes flew into their rightful place until all that was left at the bottom of the trunk was an empty photo frame. Severus shoots a scathing glare at it as if it had done him so great wrong by being in his presence. With one last flourish of his wand, the trunk slammed shut and shot under the bed and Severus stalks from his room and out of the quarters, towards the great hall.   
~   
The roar of Hermione’s fellow students assaulted her. It was a sound that she would never get used of, or tire of,despite the ringing it left in her ears. A little damage to the senses wouldn’t put a damper on Hermione’s favourite day of the year. Hermione listened half-heartedly to Ron and Harry’s heated quidditch based discussion until, finally, Dumbledore stood and the silence was instant. ‘Welcome, old students and new, to another year of magical escapades. I know that you are all waiting for this old cook to stop talking and for the sorting ceremony to begin so without further ado’ Dumbledore awarded his students with a wrinkly half smile and Professor McGonnagol brought the sorting hat to the middle of the hall, taking the place of the headmasters regal podium. Ron and Harry began whispering excitedly about the sorting hats upcoming song. Hermione turned to Ginny, excitement clear on her face. ‘This was always my favourite part of the feast’ Ginny whispered in glee, ‘It didn’t happen last year’ Hermione opened her mouth to answer but the Hat had begun to sing so she settled for patting her hand lovingly and nodding in response. The sorting song was filled with the usual predictions of the coming year but in all honesty, Hermione had been preoccupied with thoughts of the next morning where she would be starting her apprenticeship under Professor Snape. The idea of being in such close quarters with the formidable man filled her with fear that was just tinted with excitement. Even though the potions professor cut an imposing figure and made her incredibly nervous Hermione couldn’t wait to step into his personal lab, to see him work, to experience his magnificence first hand, to go from being his student to being seen as his equal was all just dream come true. Hermione gazed up at the professor, trying desperately to catch something in his eyes that she hadn’t seen before, perhaps even a sense of respect for his new apprentice but when he did finally meet her stare there was nothing but the usual indifference. Embarrassed at the brutal dismissal of her hopes at being treated differently to last year, Hermione ducked her head and stared at her empty plate for the remainder of the sorting, only just hearing that a girl called Tatiana Zafarno was sorted into Ravenclaw. Dumbledore went into another short speech before, finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the feast appeared in front of their eyes with just a flourish of one weak, wrinkled hand. ‘Ronald Billius Weasley’ Ginny hissed at her older brother ‘Stop staring you creep’ Ron flushed a brilliant shade of red, clashing horribly with his hair. ‘I wasn’t staring at anyone’ Harry grinned at Hermione and at her confused face nodded towards the new defence against the dark arts teacher, she was a tall, slim women with large blue eyes, she was defiantly part veela. ‘Professor Síne, Defence against the darks arts’ Almost every male in the hall was captivated with the new teacher, everyone but Dumbledore, Snape and Harry. While the professors both talked vigorously among themselves,the latter gazed lovingly at his other half, at the way the candlelight made her copper hair reflect beautifully and how her eyes gleamed the deepest shade of green when she laughed. Hermione wished for a love like that, a love where regardless of any other beauty, regardless of the circumstance, you’re partner will always be the most beautiful person in the room. Hermione looked at her own boyfriend, with his mouth open and his eyes glazed over, he was practically dribbling. How lucky was Hermione, being stuck with Ron Weasley?Hermione had tried many times to explain to Ron that perhaps they would be better suited as friends but he seemed oblivious to her meaning, each time exclaiming how great it was to be best friends with his girlfriend. Hermione always felt so guilty she would just smile and stay silent. After several servings of cinnamon toast, and watching Ron devour his own helpings of trifle and custard, the trio, plus Ginny, trailed up the stairs to the common room, each of them carrying their stomachs in their hands. The common room was filled with students, mostly from the higher years, all reuniting with their friends, some of which had not been seen in over a year. In one corner Seamus and Dean were caught in a tight embrace, tears trailing down both their faces, after the battle Dean went missing and wasn’t seen until today, it had been assumed that he had fled the magical world for good. The wizarding community had shrunk considerably but it could not be said whether this was because of the casualties faced in the war or that witches and wizards were renouncing their magic and leaving the wizarding world for good. It had become common for muggles to find their new neighbours strutting through the town with the oddest of ensemble, such as a man who had made it onto the local news a few weeks before the beginning of term, the man had left his house and ventured through the busy town,donning a pair of fluffy pink slippers, a pair of freshly pressed suit bottoms and a fishnet top. Various commuters had reported the man talking animatedly to a cat that was weaving in out of the traffic to stay at the strange man’s side. ‘Harry Potter!’A first year yelled, running towards them with cheetah-like speed. The rest of the room went silent, their eyes focused on Harry. ‘Its just Harry’ A faint blush was forming on his cheeks, you’re Alice right?’ It was the girls turn to blush now, but unlike Harry, her whole body turned a deep red. Then with a grin stretched across her face, she ran back to the other first years, who had formed a group near the fire. Ron muttered something that caused him to receive an elbow to the ribs from his sister but when Hermione asked what it was he had said, Ron smiled and pretended nothing had happened. The rest of the night was spent lazed across one of the burgundy couches, Ron, Hermione and Harry squished together with Ginny spread across the three, her head rested in Harry’s lap. Hermione was the first to retire, stating that she wanted a full nights rest for the morning, and reminding her friends that they still had classes in the morning and it would be smart for them to go to bed soon too.


End file.
